Post-laparoscopic Shoulder Pain Management: A Narrative Review

Post-laparoscopic shoulder pain (PLSP) can slow patient recovery and extend hospital stays, making its management crucial for patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Current consensus guidelines say little about how to prevent or manage PLSP. In this context, a multimodal approach to PLSP management that maybe extend beyond the pharmaceutical interventions currently employed. A variety of devices comprising both invasive and noninvasive approaches are available to patients, serving as adjuvants to analgesics. In this review, we explore the potential causes of PLSP. Additionally, by searching relevant databases and reviewing existing literature, we provide a comprehensive summary of current PLSP management strategies excluding analgesics.

A total of 30 articles were reviewed. The review identified a number of different treatments for PLSP, including trendelenburg position, discharge of residual gas, pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre, low-pressure pneumoperitoneum and phrenic nerve block, among others. However, the inconsistencies in the study designs resulted in disparate conclusions. While the current studies provide valuable insights, there is a clear need for further research in this area.